The DPP had a privileged upbringing thanks to his father, Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji. From 2008 to 2013, the senior Haji served as Kenya's Minister of Defence, also acting as Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs in 2012.
Yusuf worked as a public administrator between the 1970s and the late 1990s before entering politics. Noordin's mother was an educator. The Garissa Senator refuted claims that he played a role in his son's appointment as DPP.
He went on to say that he feared for his son's life because his appointment would bring many enemies.